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NCAA President Charlie Baker joins CBS Evening News to discuss the House settlement and says: “I do believe the settlement will create a much saner way of doing this than the way it works now, and I hope what we get out of it is an NIL program that’s more transparent, more accountable, and one that actually works on this idea that this is still a development exercise for young people.” Baker also says of the NCAA’s efforts to combat gambling-related harassment of players: “Part of the way we’re fixing it is by nudging state gaming authorities. We now have about half of them where you can’t prop bet on college sports, and we’ve got to work the other half. It’s a bad situation.” (link)

NCAA VP of Championships Business Affairs Chris Termini tells SBJ’s Ben Portnoy the organization is increasingly focused on generating more revenue to keep up with the changing landscape: “I’ll say that broadly the NCAA has been entrenched in a lot of principles or ideals that the membership has long abandoned. We’re playing catchup, in a way, to where the membership already is in a lot of cases. ... For example, the College Football Playoff has had a beer sponsor for a long time. There are opportunities that every day we’re talking about…that we have either not pursued or that we forfeited for a variety of reasons. Having said that, I do think there are some third rails and bright lines that we’re not going to cross into.” Termini adds that “there are profound consequences to being a nonprofit organization. It means we don’t have shareholders, and we’re not maximizing value, and we have ideals that we have to continue to honor and respect. That translates into certain lines in the sand that we will not cross. … We conduct 90, soon to be 91, postseason events, and that comes with a lot of economic issues. We’ve always had a dedicated and talented staff to manage all those relationships, whether it’s our broadcast partnerships, our sponsors, our digital rights, our ticketing and marketing operations. But in this new environment, there is an expectation that we are going to be investing and excellent stewards of all those rights.” (link)

SportsEconomics President/San Francisco (DI) Professor Dan Rascher conducted a report on the impact of Sonoma State eliminating athletics, as university officials have claimed it would save the institution $3.7M in doing so. Rascher’s analysis found athletics provides a net financial gain to the institution of between $2.2M and $4.4M, when factoring in tuition paid by student-athletes, state funding for students and more, with the variance depending on whether or not student fees are included. Of note, Rascher’s report was based on FY23 finances and does not account for externalities of athletics, such as retention and graduate rates, donations, publicity, diversity of the student body and more. More from Rascher to The Press Democrat’s Austin Murphy: “When they’re thinking about expenses, they don’t always think about the revenue side. When you cut all these expenses are you going to lose revenue, because you’re going to lose students.” SSU spokesperson Jeff Keating responds: “The decision to end NCAA athletics was not made without a thorough review of detailed and comprehensive data, along with the overarching need to balance the interests of all the students Sonoma State serves. The university will fully review the document received today. However, our initial assessment is that it is based on select information and relies on uncertain assumptions.” (link, link - full report) 

Postseason Updates…
+ Grand Valley State, Bentley, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Pittsburg State, Lubbock Christian, Coker, Union and Gannon are the eight Women’s Basketball squads left with action from Pittsburg to tip off Monday. (link)
+ The Elite Eight Men’s Basketball teams are Nova Southeastern, West Liberty, Dallas Baptist, Washburn, Lenoir-Rhyne, Lake Superior State, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Assumption. Action will begin Tuesday in Evansville. (link)

Terms have been released in the NCAA’s settlement with Tennessee and other states over an injunction preventing the NCAA from enforcing rules around booster-athlete NIL negotiations. Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger: “Of note: Though the injunction will continue, it will not impact the House settlement.” Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti: “We fought hard to protect the rights of Tennessee’s student-athletes and this settlement locks in the victory for them. With a multi-billion-dollar entertainment industry rising from the foundation of college sports, the kids who make it all happen should not be the only people denied an opportunity to prosper. This settlement benefits generations of student-athletes, protects Tennessee universities from NCAA retaliation, and pushes college sports toward a new equilibrium that acknowledges financial reality while preserving competitive integrity. I’m glad to see the NCAA give up on defending a world that no longer exists. I hope the association’s laudable change of position marks a transition from acting as the worst kind of HOA toward cultivating a new era of great college sports for athletes, schools, and fans. We all dream of a future when you can keep up with college sports without having to learn the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” (link, link); ESPN’s Dan Murphy explains the settlement means the “NCAA has agreed to permanently drop its rule prohibiting athletes from negotiating the terms of name, image and likeness payments until after they enroll in school,” and an NCAA spokesperson says: "This agreement continues the progress we have made over the last few years in allowing prospective and transferring student-athletes to seek out NIL opportunities. This judgment is fully consistent with the House settlement and underscores our support for student-athletes benefiting from their NIL and our commitment to provide increased benefits to student-athletes at every stage in their collegiate experience, creating a sustainable model for the future of college sports." (link)

Sport Sponsorship Moves…
+ California (PA) will add Women’s Flag Football as the 19th sport program starting in 2025-26. AD Karen Hjerpe: “There has been so much growth in the sport in a very short period time, and the addition of the program to our athletic compliment of sports will bring additional opportunities to females looking to continue their high school playing careers at the collegiate level.” (link)
+ Saint Leo will bring back Men’s and Women’s Track & Field after discontinuing the sport after the 2022-23 academic year. This comes as the university will complete a new track this summer. AD Marcal Lazenby: “The return of track & field as a varsity sport is a game-changer for Saint Leo University. This investment not only enhances our athletic offerings but also creates opportunities for student-athletes to excel both on and off the track. We are excited to build a program that will make a lasting impact on our university and community.” (link)
+ Salem Women’s Volleyball will join the Peach Belt as an associate member. (link)

Deal Digest…
+ Missouri Western State is the latest department to renew its unlimited jobs bundle with CollegeSports.jobs and D2.ticker. (link)
+ Northwest Missouri State extends its partnership with Influxer to offer co-licensed NIL merchandise. (link)

Coaches.wire, hoops…
+ Chico State elevates Men’s Basketball Interim HC Cevin Meador to the permanent position. AD Eric Coleman: “Cevin stepped into a challenging situation just a week before the season tipped off and has led our team with poise, passion, and purpose. He is a young man who is wise beyond his years, and it has been a joy to work alongside him. We are excited about the future of our men's basketball program under his leadership.” (link)
+ Emporia State Women’s Basketball HC Brian Ostermann steps down after two seasons. (link)
+ Lincoln Memorial Men’s Basketball HC Jeremiah Samarrippas’ contract has not been renewed after four seasons, per HoopDirt’s Adam Nelson. (link)
+ Mississippi College names Belhaven (DIII) Men’s Basketball HC Josh Brooks to the same role leading the Choctaws. AD Kenny Bizot: “Josh is a proven leader with a strong track record of success at multiple levels. His experience, passion for the game, and commitment to developing student-athletes make him the right fit to lead our program forward.” (link)
+ Ouachita Baptist Women’s Basketball HC Kiley Hill resigns to accept a position outside of athletics. (link)
+ Westmont Men’s Basketball HC Landon Boucher steps down after five seasons to focus on family. (link)

Coaches.wire, continued…
+ Black Hills State promotes AC Katie Christy to Triathlon HC. (link)
+ Chowan names former West Virginia Wesleyan AC Llaquelin Reyes-Mendez as its new Women’s Lacrosse HC. (link)
+ Missouri-St. Louis Women’s Soccer HC Maddi Moon departs for an AC position at Iowa (DI). (link)
+ King Cycling HC Alan Sparks has taken on the added role of Women’s Triathlon Interim HC. (link)
+ These changes and more in this morning’s edition of Coaches.wire. (link)

Moody’s has revised its outlook on higher education from stable to negative “as recent and potential federal policy changes create a more difficult operating environment for colleges and universities. Actions and potential changes include cuts to research funding, enforcement actions against diversity programs, staff reductions at the US Department of Education, uncertainty over federal student aid, and possible expanded taxes on endowments. These factors are causing institutions to pause capital investments, freeze hiring, and cut spending. Macroeconomic uncertainty, driven by shifting policies and market volatility, adds to the risks for institutions already dealing with elevated expense growth and enrollment challenges. However, top-rated institutions with strong demand and significant financial resources are better equipped to handle these challenges than those with weaker brands and more limited financial resources. … The outlook could change to stable if many of the federal policies and proposals are reversed or halted by judicial intervention or do not come to pass. Stronger-than-expected investment market returns and operating revenue growth could also lead to a revision of the outlook to stable.” (link)